Project Jones
by aMirrorMaze
Summary: Ianto Jones worked for Torchwood One for two years. But after an accident leaves him different from the rest of humanity, he is imprisoned by his employers and two years on, it is time for him to escape. This is his story. This is the life of Ianto Jones.
1. Chapter 1

**Project Jones – Chapter One**

**Disclaimer – I do not own the characters involved in this story, nor do I own Torchwood.**

**Summary – Ianto Jones worked for Torchwood One for two years. But after an accident leaves him different from the rest of humanity, he is imprisoned by his employers and two years on, it is time for him to escape. This is his story. This is the life of Ianto Jones.**

White walls. One glass door. No escape. The same routine every day for two years. Cell inspection, breakfast, five hour training. So many different martial arts to learn, all beginning to jumble into one.

Punch, kick. Punch, kick. Flip and grab. A sharp snap as the wood splinters on the dummy's knee joint.

Shower, then an hour's break with the other inmates. Then the men with white coats come in, plastic smiles smeared on their tanned faces. Alien in the air-conditioned environment. Never has a summer breeze rolled through the long lonely corridors.

Not ever.

Ianto Jones sits apart from the others. He is different. Originating on this planet and not the alien ones they have fallen from. Keeping quiet, seen and not heard. That's his motto. It makes everything less painful when one of their very small number disappears behind the steel door and never returns. Ianto has been taken through the door every day at 4.00pm for the past two years. Behind the door lies only pain and greedy faces that cut and type. Recording every movement, every incision, every breath and every blink that Ianto has ever done. They all lay buried deep within the computers cold heart.

Buried and hidden. Just like him.

Trapped in a concrete maze with no escape and no hope glimmering when the lights turn out. The darkness brings fear and nightmares. The pills that sit on his bedside always stay untouched.

Torchwood controls his body, but they will never control his mind. He won't let them. Whatever they touch turns black and empty, just like the other inmates that keep Ianto company. Mere shells of their former beings. But Ianto wants to escape. Each day brings the same routine, no change.

The doctors are back again, this time carrying a collar. It shines evilly in the light, the cold metal fusing against the flesh of his neck. He feels a needle enter his neck at the back. Burying inside until it reaches his spine. The collar controls him, Torchwood controls him. His mind is no longer his own.

Ever since the grenade, he's always know what they were doing.

Creating the ultimate soldier.

-Project Jones-

His day had started normally. He woke at 5.05am and immediately stood from his bed. The gentle hands of sleep were shaken off by the buzzing around his neck.

His cell was of medium size. It was rectangular in shape with the door set in at the far end, allowing the view of the whole concrete space. His bed was metal and bolted to the floor with a metal side table that held a small lamp and a plastic cup of water. Next to the bed was a small wardrobe that had a sliding metal front. Ianto walked over to it, pulling his bed clothes off as he went. He chucked them down a small metal shoot and grabbed some black combat trousers and a Torchwood emblazed black t-shirt and put them on. There was a screen door to his right that hid a small toilet and sink and just beyond that, in the centre of the room was a punching bag hanging from a thick metal chain. Ianto gave it a few quick jabs followed by a left uppercut and a sharp kick to the centre that sent the bag swinging away from him. Ianto paused mid-kick and tilted his head to the side. He heard footsteps. One pair, a lazy left then right, dragging its right foot every few steps. Then the heavy thud of two pairs of military boots followed. A simultaneous left then right, like clockwork. Ianto sighed as he heard a hearty chuckle and stilled the swinging punch bag.

He stood for a few seconds until the gentle hiss of hydraulics signalled the entrance of his doctor. His captor. His torturous master. The glass door slid smoothly aside and a man strode in with a beam on his face. He was limping on his right and carried a wooden cane.

"Hello ma' boy!" He exclaimed, clapping Ianto on the back. "Sleep well?" He asked, not a hint of worry in his voice. Ianto remained silent. The doctor sighed. His name was Mr Ashton. He was a balding man in his forties. He was the first to discover the amazing use of the necklace that had dropped through with a few aliens two months back and was now fused to Ianto's neck. He didn't much care for how Ianto was; only that he was in perfect working order as a Torchwood Special Operative, TSO, for short. A lot of money was being pumped into Project 246 to prepare him for protecting planet Earth against extraterrestrial threats. A permanent trainer had been allocated at the gym to teach him how to become a deadly fighter. Only the most essential arts had been taught. Judo, Muay Thai boxing, kickboxing and Tae kwon Do. In short, Ianto was in a very good condition to defend himself.

They had started chucking him into the arena with some weakened Weevils a few months ago. It had only taken the 22 year old and few kicks to find the alien's weak spot. It was on the floor after a few minutes of wrestling. They had then pitted him against further creatures and schooled him on their appearances and habits, but he knew most of them anyway.

"Jones? Are you ready for your training today?" Mr Ashton asked his voice was gritty from a lifetime of smoking. Ianto nodded silently and Mr Ashton pointed ahead. Ianto walked up to the glass door and two pairs of hands grabbed his shoulders. Ianto had been expecting this and relaxed his body as the two guards guided him to a wall and he planted his hands on it, his legs a shoulders length apart. The smaller guard began to pat him down thoroughly and grunted in greeting.

"Mornin' Ianto." One of the guards said happily, he was watching the search. He was tall and broad with blonde hair and a small but bright smile.

"Morning Clive. How are the rounds so far?" Ianto said back easily. Clive smirked and leaned against the wall so that Ianto could see his face. He pointed his finger at a long cut on his cheek.

"Bloody Weevils are giving me hell." Ianto smiled sympathetically. "I'm too pretty to get hurt." He joked.

"The Weevils seem to have taken issue with that." Ianto pointed out dryly. Clive gave a short bark of a laugh and pushed off the wall. The other guard was female and had dark black hair and quick eyes.

"All done. The dogs clean." She said coldly. Clive's smile dropped and he looked at Ianto with an apology on his lips. Ianto shrugged. Mr Ashton grinned and pushed Ianto ahead. They walked at a brisk pace in the electric light until they reached the doors of the gym. The doctor continued walking past shouting a quick "Have a good day!" before disappearing. The female soldier, Emma, shot daggers at Ianto before she left; whispering a quick insult at him before also disappearing. It was just Ianto and Clive in the cool white corridors.

"What's up with Emma?" Ianto asked. "Did her boyfriend dump her again for the fifth time this month?" Alan shrugged with a smirk and opened the gym door. Ianto followed him through and found himself in his training room. His trainer wasn't there yet so Ianto and Clive dropped onto some of the spongy wrestling mats and sat quietly.

"How have you been?" Ianto asked. Clive grinned and brushed his knuckle gently against Ianto's chin.

"Me! What about you? You've been here for two years now Yan. Aren't they ever going to let you out?" He said incredulously. Ianto sighed and Clive shook his head. "It's not right. You should be out of this place. Hanging with people your own age."

"You **are** my age." Ianto grinned, but Clive shook his head again.

"You know what I mean. Not the whole in-a-prison thing. Hanging out with me! Getting pissed and having sex!" Clive exclaimed. Ianto remained straight faced.

"Me. Getting pissed and having sex with you?" Clive could sense the humour in Ianto's tone.

"If you want." He leered. Ianto laughed and clapped him on the back.

"Well, as appealing as that sounds..." Clive wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "I don't think Torchwood will accept that excuse for me to leave this place." Clive pouted and Ianto chuckled again.

"One day Clive. I'll get out of here and you can shag me to your heart's content." Clive's eyes lit up considerably.

"What if you want to be on top?" At Ianto's look Clive stopped talking. "You look the sort..." He trailed off as Ianto raised an eyebrow at him.

"How can you tell?" Ianto whispered, leaning forward so that his breath tickled Clive's ear. The blonde shivered and turned so that their noses brushed with lips barely centimetres apart. Clive suddenly grabbed Ianto shoulders and dragged him down on top of him, rolling as Ianto was pulled flush to his body. Ianto yelped in surprise but didn't pull away. They rolled for a moment until they slowed. Clive was on the bottom with Ianto pressing down on top of him. They were locked in a passionate kiss, both needy and searching. When they needed air Ianto pulled up, breathing heavily. Clove grinned wolfishly.

"Instinct."

-Project Jones-

Ianto awoke with a start. He was lying on his stomach. He pushed himself to his elbows and gasped a lungful of air. His entire body was aching, his senses dizzy. All around there was a constant blaring of alarms that rattled his bruised form. Ianto raised two bleeding hands and slammed them over his ears, but the alarms were only slightly muffled. He opened his eyes but dust and smoke clouded his vision.

With a cry of agony Ianto tore himself to his knees, there was a horrible scream from somewhere in the dark. A stray piece of concrete fell from the damaged roof and hit his shoulder. Ianto didn't feel it; his body was beginning to go numb. A loud crack sounded above and a shower of dust fell.

The roof had fallen in. Ianto had no knowledge of why, only the fear and a slight trace of hope that maybe, just maybe, he could escape. With another scream Ianto was on his feet. He shook his head and stumbled blindly forward, his arms outstretched for the hydraulic glass door that locked his cell. His fingers caught on a sharp shard of glass and Ianto carefully balanced his way through without doing too much damage. A low red glow descended on the long corridors. Emergency lights. Ianto could now see the damage of the cells. The ceiling had collapsed on the right passage and on three of the cells. The smoke was swirling in the eerie red glow and Ianto hacked out a cough to clear his throat. Ianto could pick a route out of the collapsed roof to the surface and glanced around at the dusty cell which had been his home and prison for two years. He took a deep breath and began to climb to freedom.

The concrete cut into his hands with ever tug as he slowly scraped his way upwards. Ianto could still hear screams above, but that did little to deter him attempting to reach them. He wanted to breathe clean and fresh air.

A rock slipped under his grasp and Ianto scrabbled for purchase but all the rocks came away in his hands. He was falling and falling, through the dust and back to where he began.

Torchwood must really not want to let him go, Ianto thought bitterly as he landed back at the bottom, a little worse for wear. Ianto rested against the corridor wall and took in a deep breath and tried to clear his mind.

A warm tingling sensation began to glove his hands. Ianto watched as the cuts and slices in his flesh began to knit back together. That was what Torchwood was so interested in. They cut through bone and watched it grow back, cell by cell. Recorded the times each limp took. Ianto remembered those painful months when his regeneration had first been discovered by Torchwood. That fateful alien grenade that exploded in his hands. Burning away the flesh and leaving only charred limbs. Torchwood had watched with greed and anticipation as he slowly grew back. Then they drugged and dragged him down to the lower levels and branded him as Torchwood property.

If it's alien it's ours. Ianto thought resentfully as he felt the cold metal of his collar press against his neck. Around his neck bounced a small necklace, much like a dog tag used in the army. All Ianto's said was 246. That's all he was. His identity had been striped and that's all that's left of him.

246. That meant he was the 246th victim of Torchwood. The 246th person with no chance, no escape and no say. Because he was now owned. Torchwoods little lap dog.

But the explosion and gunfire from above meant that he did have a chance, at the cost of human lives. Ianto pushed himself to his feet once again, his hands now fully healed. He turned back to the rubble heap and prepared himself to climb. As he took the first step a scream came from behind him.

"NO! I'M SORRY! I'LL GO WITH YOU!" Ianto recognised that voice. It froze his insides and he turned on the spot and charged back down the corridor. "PLEASE. PLEASE DON'T." It was Clive. He was in trouble, and Ianto was going to save him. His heart set to fight and mind racing through his training. Ianto turned the corner and skidded to a stop.

Clive was on the floor. His beautiful face smudged with blood. He was dragging himself away from a towering figure. Ianto breath caught as his eyes met the cold black holes of his opponent. It was a man. A metal man. He took a step forward with the hiss of hydraulics and broke Ianto from his daze.

He charged forwards as the metal mans arm shot downwards, the cold fingers grasping Clive's shoulder and hoisting him into the air. Ianto was running with all his might. His heart leaping from his chest.

But he knew he wouldn't make it. He was too far away. Too far away to save him.

"You will be deleted." The metal man stated. No emotion was felt. No remorse, no sin and no sense. Just pure cold. Clive was dangling helplessly and his head turned, blue eyes meeting Ianto's. He was begging him. Tears spilled down his face and dripped onto the floor and mingled with blood. A metal arm shot outwards, straight through his heart. Clive screamed and Ianto stumbled. Clive slipped to the floor with blood pumping from the hole in his chest. The metal man merely stared ahead as the blood ran down his arm.

Ianto pulled himself towards Clive and pulled him into his lap. His eyes were empty. The life had left him. Ianto wasn't fast enough to save him. Inside Ianto, something snapped. The collar took hold.

Pure anger bubbling to the surface and a growl formed in his throat. Ianto screamed and jumped to his feet with Clive's blood staining his hands. Ianto charged and lashed out with all his might. Each kick and punch was delivered with deadly accuracy. Hitting the joints of the man, making the metal buckle under the force. A sharp kick to the leg to the joint flying backwards and the metal man dropped to his remaining knee. A sharp splinter of metal broke away from the main body and stuck out, pointing at Ianto like a spear.

Ianto clenched his fists and pounded them repeatedly into the metal face; each blow ripped a scream from his soul. He finished with a powerful blow to the neck that send the metal head ripping backwards, exposing wiring and a strange pinkish fluid dribbled from the rim. The beheaded metal shell fell backwards and joined its head on the floor. The metal gleamed evilly in the red light.

Ianto couldn't breathe. His world was darkening around him. The anger still coursed through his veins and he turned quickly and fell to his knees in front of Clive. His Clive. One hour every morning for two years. It seemed like nothing. Ianto felt the sting of tears as they ran down his face. His time with Clive could have been so much more. So much more than this.

If only he had escaped. It was his fault. Ianto screamed in fury. Alone in a corridor with nobody to blame but himself. He sobbed and screamed, then made a decision.

He could heal, but he could also die. He wanted to be in peace. With Clive. Forever.

With a final smile Ianto looked at his reflection in the cyberman's chest and threw himself onto the metal spear. It pierced through his heart and a tear of blood trickled from his mouth. Ianto caught one last look at himself before the colour drained from the world, leaving him only in darkness.

It was Torchwood that killed Ianto Jones.

_Thank you for reading._

_This is a multi-chaptered story. This isn't the end of Ianto Jones. It's only the beginning._


	2. Chapter 2

**Project Jones – Chapter Two**

**Disclaimer – I do not own the characters involved in this story, nor do I own Torchwood.**

**Summary – Ianto Jones worked for Torchwood One for two years. But after an accident leaves him different from the rest of humanity, he is imprisoned by his employers and two years on, it is time for him to escape. This is his story. This is the life of Ianto Jones.**

The first thing Ianto felt was a horrible cold that spread through his very bones. Ianto was in the dark. A thick darkness that coated everything, he held his hands in front of his face, but there was no sign of them. But that's when he heard it. Somewhere in the darkness, something moved. He saw a shift of the gloom, and first thought his eyes were playing tricks. But then it happened again, this time closer.

He felt a brush of cloth run across his face and stumbled back, swatting at the invisible creature. A deep chuckle echoed around the space. It felt as though it came from Ianto's very soul. Ianto was terrified. A lone tear tracked down the curves of his face and dripped from his chin into oblivion.

"It's Ok." was whispered softly into his ear. Ianto jumped and tripped over his feet trying to escape it only to fall on the floor in a crumpled heap. Ianto tried to squint through the darkness as drapes of cloth materialised from the black and drew together around an invisible form. The cloth continued and Ianto pushed himself away, but the figure drifted forwards, the strands of thread acting like fingers reaching out at him. Trying to claw him back. The figure's arms reached up and pulled a hood over its invisible head and the darkness bent where its mouth should have been. Ianto couldn't speak. His heart wasn't beating, he wasn't breathing, and he couldn't move.

"Are you alright?" the figure whispered again. The voice was a jumble of different accents and tongues, stolen from the lives it had taken. Ianto nodded, and the figures head bowed. Ianto licked his lips and his voice nearly cracked when he asked the question.

"Are...are you...Death?" He asked tripping over every word as the figure leaned in close, its hood lifting so that it was inches from Ianto's face.

"Not Really. But I have no name." It replied. This time sounding American and taking time between words as though measuring them individually. Ianto let out a shaky breath and glanced around the cloak.

"Is this all there is?" He asked uncertainly. The hood dipped and Ianto dropped his head. The figure floated downwards, joining Ianto on the floor. Ianto stayed where he was; there was nothing to be afraid of, not now. He still had his senses. Most definitely his smell, because this cloak smelled...different. Good different. Comforting.

"I'm afraid so." It said, sounding sincere. Ianto sighed. He'd traded one prison for another. This never-ending darkness for the white washed walls.

"It's not all bad." The cloak said, trying to brighten the situation. Ianto glanced at it, this time noticing a shade of blue was weaved into the dark threads.

"Oh really." Ianto said bitterly, pounding his fists into each other repetitively. The cloak sighed deeply.

"You will move on soon." it said knowingly, the invisible head turning to face Ianto. The American twisting in with Scottish. Ianto frowned.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"This is just a pit stop. You're in Limbo." The cloak replied, indicating the expanding darkness.

"What's after this?" Ianto questioned, a hint of fear shaking his voice. The cloak sighed and shook its hood.

"I honestly don't know." From Ianto's look, the cloak conceded that it had never been there. Ianto was confused.

"So you just stay here and wait for people to wander in?"

"Nobody has ever actually wandered in before. You're the first." Ianto frowned and glanced at the hoods bowed figure.

"Sounds lonely in here." Ianto said softly.

"It is. But I don't normally get to speak to anyone." The hood said. "But you...you look like you want to be here." Ianto sighed and turned away.

"I thought I did. But I was hoping for something a little less gloomy." He said back lightly.

"Hoping for colourful rainbows with happy rabbits and sheep?" After a moment the cloak shook its head. "You killed yourself?" The cloak asked gently. Ianto nodded. "Where were you?"

"In Canary Wharf, Base level 8. With those horrible metal monsters." The hood remained silent. "They killed my-" Ianto was stuck for the word.

"Girlfriend? boyfriend?" The hood offered helpfully.

"Boyfriend...I think. It was complicated. His name was Clive. I attacked the metal bastard. Ripped the bloody things head off." The hood whistled, impressed.

"Takes a lot to kill those things." The voice twisted to British. Ianto nodded.

"Think I broke my knuckles punching it." He mused. "But I wouldn't have been able to get out of The Wharf. There wasn't anything left for me to fight for anyway." Ianto finished with a tone of defeat.

"What about fighting for you?" The hood asked. Ianto turned, his eyes empty.

"I don't belong to myself." The hood was about to question, but something stopped him. A dull golden glow was shining in the darkness. Ianto saw it too and felt a familiar feeling of warmth, a coating over his body. He looked down and saw his body shining. An outline glowing in the dark. The cloak floated up and stared wordlessly at the gold thread weaving through the outline.

"No!" Ianto exclaimed. "You can't send me back there! Those monsters will take me again!" He was screaming, struggling to shake off the golden glow. The hood stumbled, staring at the dead man's outline.

"I'm not doing anything!" It sounded horrified. Ianto struggled to brush it away but it was dragging him back. Back to the real world. Back to hell.

"Make it stop!" Ianto sobbed.

"How are you doing that Immortal?" The cloak yelled. Ianto looked up with weeping eyes and cried as he was ripped back through the veil and brought back to life.

-Project Jones-

The first thing Ianto did was gasp a huge breath of oxygen. Drinking it in. He was disorientated. Confused. He opened his eyes but everything remained dark. He tried to move but something cold and slippery restricted him. Ianto panicked. Thrashing around for time, trying to escape. The young man forced himself to calm. He gently reached out and his hands touched the dark plastic of his cocoon. He let his hands explore further and they touched the cold metal of a zip.

Ianto gingerly pulled it down and light burst through the gap. He blinked wildly as daylight seeped in. With a heavy heart Ianto pulled the curtains of the body bag apart and sat up slowly. He was one of the hundreds of dead lined up in a concrete car park. Ianto spotted the movement of soldiers marching. They wore red caps and Ianto recognised them to be from UNIT. They were patrolling at the far end of the car park, holding clipboards and speaking hurriedly into walkie talkies. None of them even glanced his way; they didn't expect the dead to rise. Ianto got up quickly, relishing the use of his limbs once again. But then he felt something unexpected. It came from nowhere, rustling the bright green trees that surrounded the enclosed car park. Ianto realised.

He was outside! For the first time in two years he felt the breath of earth upon his cheeks. Ianto sighed happily, but the moment was short lived. The sun dipped behind a cloud and all became cold. Ianto looked up and saw the foreboding skeleton that was once Torchwood London. It was bent and twisted with broken glass hanging from the empty eyes of its window frames. Ianto was in the company car park, filled with not cars, but their owners. He was broken from his daze by the barking voice shooting towards him.

"Hey! You!" Ianto looked over quickly, with his back straight he faced the oncoming angry UNIT soldier.

"What are you doing man? We've got bodies to move!" Ianto glanced down at himself and realised that his prison uniform was strikingly similar to the UNIT soldiers. The black combats and tight black shirt emblazed with the Torchwood logo made the man judge him to be helping them. Ianto snapped himself into a salute and said a quick:

"Sir, yes sir!" The other soldier grunted in return and thrust a clipboard into Iantos hand.

"Here. You take over. I've got to go deal with Captain Bighead from Torchwood 3. God help me." He muttered before jogged out of the concrete cemetery. Ianto was bemused and glanced at the clipboard. It was laced with name after name with a tick next to most of them. With a heavy heart Ianto noted that they were all employed by Torchwood, and many of them had been ticked to be deceased. Ianto quickly scanned the names but didn't find his listed anywhere. Ianto set off for the exit.

He passed the checkpoint and the soldier waved him through, taking the clipboard from Ianto with a sigh. Ianto walked quickly but was remarkable unnoticed, even though the dark red glistening patch on his shirt and huge tear drew the attraction of a strange looking doctor. He rushed over and grabbed him by the arm and immediately shone a torch in his eyes. Ianto didn't have time to react when the doctor dragged him into a nearby tent.

"Sit." He ordered. Ianto gulped.

"But I-I really need to do-do my duties." The doctor swore as he noticed his cup of coffee was empty.

"You're not doing anything." The man snapped, grabbing a nearby syringe. He was wearing a blood stained lab coat and a pair of ripped jeans. He had shortly cut dark hair that made him look quite angry. The doctor turned on him with the syringe and poked a hand at the torn material of his shirt, his hand coming away red with blood.

"It's not mine!" Ianto exclaimed, but the doctor's eyes narrowed. "Look I'm not hurt at all! I'm fine." Ianto backed out of the tent but the doctor followed.

"You're in shock, your hands are shaking and your pupils are dilated. Have you been taking any dugs recently?" Ianto blinked in surprise but shook his head and darted from the tent and away from the questioning doctor. The doctor sighed and ushered in the next victim.

Ianto walked quickly across the tarmac and spotted an approaching motorbike ridden by a UNIT soldier. Ianto saw the rider rapidly park it, tossing his keys, helmet and a rucksack to a nearby soldier and running off into the Torchwood tower. The soldier walked slowly to the bike but Ianto was faster.

"Would you like me to park this safely for you Mam?" Ianto asked politely, giving the Private a salute. The women looked surprised at being addressed this way but nodded brightly, handing him the owner's things. Ianto waited for the soldier to walk away and then pulled the red helmet over his head, slung the rucksack over his should and settled himself in the bikes seat. It was a Yamaha R1 with a black body and red trim. Ianto had ridden a few bikes in his youth round the estate, stolen one as well. It was a good size and weight and Ianto felt at home on it. It was also a pretty bike and the owner would sorely miss it, besides, red was Iantos colour.

With the thought of returning to his native Cardiff Ianto kicked the bike into action and gave it a few revs. The engine was strong and roared beneath him. With a joyous yell of freedom Ianto let the throttle go and sped off into civilisation with a silly boyish grin plastered across his face.

He felt alive again.

-Project Jones-


	3. Chapter 3

**Project Jones – Chapter Three**

**Disclaimer – I do not own the characters involved in this story, nor do I own Torchwood.**

**Summary – Ianto Jones worked for Torchwood One for two years. But after an accident leaves him different from the rest of humanity, he is imprisoned by his employers and two years on, it is time for him to escape. This is his story. This is the life of Ianto Jones.**

Captain Jack Harkness awoke with a start, gasping in oxygen as quickly as possible. He glanced around and found himself in a dark alley. With a sigh he pressed a hand to his soaked shirt and it came away red and sticky with blood.

"Just my luck." He muttered bitterly, pushing himself to his feet. A quick stretch cracked some bones back into place and Jack stumbled forwards. The blowfish had been packing a machine gun, he hadn't been expecting that. His once blue shirt was now dark and had a sewing line of holes running across his chest.

But Jack wasn't worrying about that. His thoughts were trapped in an endless circle of darkness and a golden outline. It shouldn't be possible, but Jack knew it had to be since he had seen it through his own eyes. It had come as a surprise when the tidal wave of bullets rammed into his chest, but an even larger surprise when he discovered a guest with him. In a place that only one person should inhabit and never return from.

Jack had pretended to understand the mysterious stranger, thinking it first to be a sign but gained only the story of a person stuck in Limbo with another Immortal. The mysterious golden figure had committed suicide at Canary Wharf and then another thing the figure had said sent a spark into Jacks brain.

Jack was running for the SUV and ripping his phone from his pocket and saw the screen glare at him.

**246 Missed Calls**

Jack swore. The immortal had said that Cybermen were in Torchwood London and the messages left for him not only confirmed that, but made it so much worse. The first was from Tosh.

"Jack, you need to get here right now! The ghosts that One were using are actually cybermen. It's a full blown takeover, there's also some rumours of the Doctor being there." Jack's heart leapt but was quickly crushed. He skipped forward a hundred or so messages and it was from Owen.

"It's not just fucking Cybermen Jack, its Daleks. It's total carnage down here. Where the fuck are you!" Jack's foot slammed on the Gas and the SUV rocketed forward. He called everyone, collecting as much information as possible and a torrent of abuse from Owen.

The journey was at breakneck speed and all the way Jack's mind never stopped buzzing. All his thoughts jumbled into one and when he finally arrived in London, the sight took his breath away.

Canary Wharf sat broken and smouldering in the afternoon light. A beacon of failure shining in the sky. Jack tore past a crying UNIT private and ripped the door of the Medical tent open. Owen was covered in blood and was looking glumly into the bottom of his empty coffee cup. His head snapped up at Jacks arrival and he launched at the man.

"Where have you been? The battles finished. The Doctor saved everyone and sent the Daleks and such into the void." Owen explained quickly and pushed Jack from then tent.

"Ok. How many casualties?" Jack asked wearily as he eyes the converted car pack and its silent occupants. Owen shook his head.

"Not sure. Almost everyone in the tower, the body count so far is peaking 400 with the rest labelled as missing and we got 20 survivors so far." Owen glanced around and huffed as he saw the crying UNIT private being shouted at by a much larger UNIT soldier. "For god sake people!" He roared, startling them. "Get the events into perspective! You're bikes been stolen, taking a bloody look around at all the people's lives that have been fucking stolen!"

Jack headed for the tower and was handed a gas mask with a soldier muttering "Just in case, Mate." Owen was quick on Jacks heels.

"What are we looking for?" The doctor asked. Jack paused for a moment.

"Base Level 8." He said and glanced at a map. Owen leaned over his shoulder with a sigh.

"No point Jack. UNITs already cleaned out the Base Levels." Jack swore and rounded on Owen.

"What did they find?" He demanded. Owen shrugged and took a step back.

"I don't know! Just some bodies, a decapitated Cyberman and a few dead Weevils." Jack groaned and Owen scratched his head. "It's weird though." He said vaguely as they set off for the Base Levels.

"What is?" Jack asked as they began to clamber down some dodgy metal stairs. Owen shrugged.

"Base Level Eight isn't on the layout. It shouldn't be there. Whatever London had hidden down there was a whole load bigger than the Weevils." A strong silence stretched as they grew closer and closer to Level 8. When they finally arrived the place was empty. The floor was thick with dust and Owen had to stifle a few sneezes.

"What were you hiding down here Hartman?" Jack muttered as he eyed a shattered glass door. The shards crunched beneath their boots and Jack stepped inside the small room. The roof had fallen in so there was little to see. Owen wandered off down the hallway, being careful to avoid the dark patch on the floor. Jack bent down and inspected it. The concrete smelled distinctly like cleaning product. Somebody had tried to cover this up.

"Is this where they found the Cyberman?" Jack asked as he ran a finger along the damp floor. Owen shouted a confirmation from the end of the hall and came back looking confused.

"This place is empty. It's just an empty shell. What was down here before?" Owen asked and eyed Jack carefully as the man straightened up, looking grim.

"I have no idea Owen, but we need to find out. Hartman showed her insanity when she allowed those 'ghosts' to wander across the void. But I have no idea what was going on down here." Owen clicked his fingers and pointed at the damp patch.

"The two bodies were found here. Both male." Jack listened eagerly. "One of 'em was a prison guard named Clive Roberts, the other was unnamed." Jack swore and rested heavily on the hallway wall. "But, he did have a tag on him." Owen smirked and tapped his comms, calling Toshiko into the midst of them. "Hey Tosh, can you bring up the info on the unnamed deceased on Base Level 8?" There was a moment of silence.

"Yeah Owen, just give me a second. The Torchwood One server is shot to pieces; it's easier than hacking into the Military." At Jacks incredulous look Owen shrugged as if to say _"It's Tosh, she's a genius." _"Ok I've got it. The body was aged around early 20's with dark hair and blue eyes. Found impaled on the splintered leg of a Cyberman, possible self-inflicted. Wore a dark leather and metal collar that was fused to the skin on his neck, UNIT special ops also found a dog tag around his neck with the numbers 246 engraved on it."

"Thanks' Tosh." Owen said before disconnecting. Jack stood there for a moment, eyes glazed as he memorised every detail.

"Does this guy matter?" Owen asked quietly as he eyes the silent boss. Jack merely shrugged in reply and began to inspect the rest of the area. Owen sighed and wandered along, coming to a solid steel door. It had been blasted to pieces and behind it was only another long corridor.

"Hey Jack! I'm heading back up to the surface to check on the bodies." Owen called and headed off towards the exit as he heard a grunt in reply. But then as he was halfway up the stairs a blur of blue thundered past him, boots slamming repetitively onto the metal grating.

"Jack! What the hell!" Owen shouted as he attempted to keep up behind Jack. He lost sight of the man when he reached the top and only caught a glimpse of blue army coat as it swished through the car park entrance. Jack was searching through a clipboard and found the section of unnamed people. There was a tiny 246 scrawled next to one of the numbers and Jack couldn't help but sprint to the allocated body bag.

What he saw sent his head spinning and the clipboard dropped to the floor with a crack of splintering wood.

"No. No way." Jack said, taking a step back and shouting at the guard by the gate, calling him over. "You! Where's this body gone?" The poor UNIT private looked increasingly like a goldfish as he stared at the empty black body bag. The soldier shrugged and muttered something about it having not been filled yet. But the explanation was ridiculous. Why would they put an empty body bag in the graveyard? It made no sense. But Jack was coming to a conclusion as he continually stared at it.

The man who had been placed in that body bag –only known as 246- had risen from death and ran. Jack slammed his hand to his ear piece and Tosh's voice answered swiftly.

"Yes Jack?" She asked, sounding exhausted.

"Tosh, I need you to get the CCTV of the Torchwood car park, centre it on the North end for the past few hours then send it to me." Jack shot out like a bullet with each word hammering down the frequency and slamming into Tosh.

"Ok Jack. But it will take some time." Toshiko asked quietly as she typed determinedly into her keyboard. Jack glared down at the empty body bag.

"Also, do you think you could do some research on the mysterious 246." He said softly.

"Sure. Shall I send the results to you as well?" Toshiko replied. She didn't ask why he wanted or needed it and respected his privacy. She could tell that Jack wanted to keep this to himself. If they needed to know, he would tell them. She hoped.

-Project Jones-


	4. Chapter 4

**Project Jones – Chapter Three**

**Disclaimer – I do not own the characters involved in this story, nor do I own Torchwood.**

**Summary – Ianto Jones worked for Torchwood One for two years. But after an accident leaves him different from the rest of humanity, he is imprisoned by his employers and two years on, it is time for him to escape. This is his story. This is the life of Ianto Jones.**

Ianto was riding for three hours until he arrived in Cardiff and the Welsh signs greeted him warmly. Ianto spotted an ATM machine in a petrol station and pulled in. He locked the Yamaha and walked casually over to it. With quick fingers his hands danced over the keys, typing in a 24 digit number. The screen flickered and the Torchwood logo appeared. Ianto smiled brightly and let out a sigh of relief.

_**TORCHWOOD EMERGECY CASH WITHDRAWAL**_

_**KEY IN THE AMOUNT YOU WISH TO WITHDRAW**_

The message flashed on the screen and Ianto thought for a second and then typed in £8,000. He thought it was a good amount. Enough to rent out a flat until he could sort out reactivating his ID since Torchwood had made sure he was recorded as dead. Also there was shopping and new clothes...Ianto hadn't had to worry about this for the past two years but now he was swamped. With a cough the machine spat out the bills in twenty pound bundles. Ianto had to shove it all quickly into his pockets before a passing elderly lady saw him. Ianto jumped back on the bike and headed away from the petrol station with his pockets heavy with money.

Ianto drove for a while and stopped outside a mobile phone shop. It only took him ten minutes to buy a decent one and was on his way to an estate agent. The flats were of respectable size, but more expensive to rent than Ianto could remember. The estate agent was more than happy to lead Ianto to several flats and when the young man was happy the money was exchanged quickly and Ianto was left with a good size flat close the Bay.

Ianto took the offered keys and unlocked the door and welcomed himself to his new home. The front door led straight into the living room and kitchen with a small hallway between the two that split into a bathroom and next to it, a bedroom. With childish glee Ianto launched himself onto the bed and smiled in relief. The only thing left for him to do was make it a home.

After a few trips to the local furniture store Ianto had several deliveries lined up, including a new bed, a new leather sofa and large TV. Night had begun to draw in and Ianto embraced it. He sat on the old sofa with a beer in hand and flicked lazily through the channels; relishing the overly dramatic soaps and catching up on the events over the past two years. The news was covered with the reports of Canary Wharf, but they lacked any real truths, only speculations and non-committed quotes from men in uniform. Ianto glanced at the clock and was beginning to feel restless. It was only 8pm.

With a sudden burst of energy Ianto darted from the room and emerged with a black rucksack. The UNIT soldier had left it behind in his bid to quickly enter Canary Wharf. Ianto had forgotten about it and chucked it into the corner of his new flat. With a flick of the wrist and the buzz of a zip the bag was open.

Ianto plunged his hand in and shuffled around for a moment. He pulled out a gleaming laptop. It looked brand new and definitely a few years ahead of current technology. Ianto popped it to the side and gentle reached inside the bag again. His hands clasped around something heavy and metal, with a gasp he pulled out a Gun. It was a sleek looking thing with a few added bits around the edge. Ianto pulled it up and aimed at various points around his flat. He recognised it as standard issue arms for Torchwood. An M1911.

Torchwood always trains every single recruit in basic unarmed combat and a few lessons on firearms. Ianto was a pretty good shot and felt slightly safer with a gun in his grasp. At least now if Torchwood or UNIT found out his existence he could put up a bit of a fight, he wouldn't go quietly.

Ianto placed the gun on top of the Laptop and pulled out a few other devices. One looked a bit like a pen but it had no nib and a blinking red light on top. Ianto smiled as he recognised the pattern along the edge. It was a device used to disrupt radio or videoing equipment and Ianto beamed at the little thing. It would allow him to sort a few things out without being noticed. Another gun was pulled from the bag and Ianto found a load of spare clips for the gun at the bottom along with some extra change and several strange cube shaped things. Ianto wasn't interesting in the other items at the moment and set to work on cracking into the password protected laptop.

Ianto was pretty decent at computers and it didn't take him too long to be welcomed by a black background and the UNIT insignia. After a few quick keystrokes he was searching swiftly through the Torchwood server. Ianto had to bounce his laptop signal from the water tower a few miles away to make sure his location wasn't traced. He pulled up his Torchwood details from the Wharf and noticed that it had been linked to another folder named 246. Ianto shuddered but resisted the temptation to read up on his reports; he would do that later when he had settled in. After reactivating his ID he typed a few more things in, making sure to have a new bank account opened and his old information -ID and such- sent to the nearest post office for collection.

With a grin he ploughed through the Torchwood server, it looked as though tones of hackers had already picked their way through and left the security protection useless and easy to bypass. A few more clicks and keystrokes and Ianto was changing the details of the motorbike he had stolen outside and arranged for a new number plate to also be sent to the Post office. Computers and automated systems were still working at Torchwood, so all of the information would be printed by an unmanned machine and sent to destinations via secure emails. No humans needed.

Ianto reckoned nobody would notice him changing the small information of an employee that had been recorded dead for the past two years -but unknown to Ianto, that didn't stop a few bells ringing when he accessed his old files-. The link to Prisoner 246 was well protected, but considering the state of Torchwood, it would be a while before anybody noticed.

With a happy smile Ianto sat back with a glass of beer and took a swig from it. But a thought struck his happy mood down to the floor. It was a single word that popped into his mind.

Rhiannon.

His sister. She must think he was dead. Torchwoods way of cleaning the slate and keeping everything under control even if it placed an agonising pain on the families of loved ones. Ianto shook the thought away with a huff. He couldn't talk to her. How would he explain that he could no longer die, that Torchwood had been training him for the past two years in an underground base, keeping him locked in a cell with only doctors and guards to keep him company.

That thought struck a chord with his heart and sent a tear to Ianto's blue eyes. Clive. He was dead and it was Ianto's fault. Ianto could have probably helped others if he had only kept his head in the situation instead of being selfish. Suicide only left Ianto with another problem. His immortality. Even Death didn't understand him.

Ianto didn't belong anywhere. Even the never-ending darkness of the Veil wouldn't keep him. He was a poison. Everything he touched would fade and die away whilst he would be left alone. The last human in existence.

It sounded lonely. Incredibly lonely. Ianto struck out with his fist and sent a nearby lamp flying into the window. With a low growl he grabbed his coat and stalked out of his flat and into the street.

The wind provided a welcome relief and cooled his hot tempter. Ianto shoved his hands deep into his new black coat and began to walk down the dark road speckled with the dull orange glow of overhead streetlights. He was walking for a good half an hour and found himself trudging slowly through a dark alley. His shoes clattered for a moment on a manhole cover, disturbing the quiet of the night. He continued on and was about to turn the corner when he heard something.

The grating of metal on tarmac. The slow drag of the manhole cover left a gaping black hole staring at the sky. Ianto turned slowly and saw a crouching figure pull itself out of the drain with strong and knobbly hands. It was wearing a one-piece blue boiler suit and was hunched over glaring at the floor.

Ianto had recognised it immediately. It was a Weevil. It looked female (slightly bigger than the average male) and raised its head up, bearing its teeth at Ianto. The collar around Ianto's neck hummed with excitement and sent a warm fuzzy feeling through Iantos limbs. With a sigh the young man slowly took off his coat and draped it carefully over a nearby bench on the sidewalk. He turned his body side on with his arms hanging loosely by his sides. With a growl the beast lumbered forward with a screech and extended sharp claws. Ianto easily dodged the Weevil with a quick step and gave it a gentle whack on the back of the head with his elbow as it passed. The Weevil snarled in anger and charged at Ianto again. The young man smirked, enjoying the feeling of something familiar. It took away his anger as he danced around the beast, dodging its strikes with ease and practise. When the Weevil was incredibly wound up it launched itself forward straight at Ianto, but the young man had been expecting it and was already spinning in a kick. He jumped high, twisting a full 360 with one leg outstretched. His foot swept round and connected with a sickening slap on the side of the Weevils face.

It had been perfectly timed and the Weevils jump was sent off course, landing in a heap on the floor moaning softly. Ianto waited and straightening the cuffs of his jacket casually. The Weevil was on its feet but before it could attack Ianto again a swift fist was slammed into the underside of its chin. The Weevil arched upwards, ripped off the feet by the force of the uppercut, and after a moment of slowness it fell towards earth again in a crumpled heap. The Weevil was unconscious. Ianto let out a breath and his body relaxed. The fight had been just what he needed, but it left a few questions nagging at his brain.

Why was a Weevil hiding in the sewers? Was there more of them? Why was nobody here to address this? But then it clicked. Ianto's mind flitted back to the angry guard in the car park cemetery.

"_I've got to go deal with Captain Bighead from Torchwood 3" That's_ what the guard had said. Torchwood Three. Ianto rubbed a hand over his face and wondered if that section was based around here. He had heard of the different institutes but why would one be in Cardiff? With a sigh Ianto dragged the Weevil back into the drain with his head buzzing with questions.

Ianto gave the manhole a tug but it was too heavy to move, so he walked away leaving it open with the weevil propped up against the ladder at the bottom. He hoped it didn't decide to go walkabouts again. As Ianto walked away, pulling on his coat, he failed to notice the electric hum of a wall mounted camera as it spun around to watch him walk away and disappear into the darkness.

Alarm bells began to ring in the Hub of Torchwood Three.

-Project Jones-


	5. Chapter 5

**Project Jones – Chapter Five**

**Disclaimer – I do not own the characters involved in this story, nor do I own Torchwood.**

**Summary – Ianto Jones worked for Torchwood One for two years. But after an accident leaves him different from the rest of humanity, he is imprisoned by his employers and two years on, it is time for him to escape. This is his story. This is the life of Ianto Jones.**

"Jack. Jack I think I know what happened to the unconscious Weevil." A young Asian women called across a large room. Well room wasn't the name for it. It was a cavern. Filled with equipment that shouldn't exist in the 21st century and wasn't likely to be appearing in a few thousand years. The base resembled the Bat cave more than anything else, not the government-police-special ops- area 51 people they actually were. A huge painting of a Welsh dragon was sprayed to a wall above one of the walkways that ran around the edge of the place. There were four desks and each was cluttered with alien artefacts, stacks of paper, old takeaway boxes and hi-tech computers. A man in a long blue World War One military coat beamed from behind a triangular shaped glass window and began to step quickly down a flight of stairs. A man in jeans and a tar splattered lab coat popped his head up from the body of a strange looking person. It had grey skin and bright green eyes that stared lifelessly up at the ceiling in a small circular medical room. The man had short dark hair and quick, cunning eyes.

"It didn't just happen to slip off the ladder and fall to its doom then?" He called, voice dripping with sarcasm. Another woman pulled off a welding mask and glared at the London doctor.

"Oh shut up Owen. It that were true then it wouldn't have opened the Manhole in the first place." The doctor – Owen- flipped off the women and walked behind the Asian girl, squinting at the screen.

"What have you got for me my beautiful Toshiko?" Said the man dressed in the navy blue coat. Tosh pointed at her screen and the bad quality, grainy picture that seemed to have been taken by a very old camcorder.

"It's the CCTV an hour before we got the call from the police about the Weevil." She explained and expertly rewound the footage.

"I can't believe somebody fell down the bloody Manhole." Owen said with a smirk. "Good thing the Weevil was there I suppose, or the Granny might have broken more than her leg." The other women had joined them and grinned at Owen. Her name was Suzie.

"She nearly had a heart attack when she saw it. Bless her." Suzie added.

"So, what's the story of our little sleeping beauty?" Asked the WW1 dressed man. He had an American accent and a gleaming kilowatt smile. Tosh began to play the tape and the screen showed a person – male by the look of it – walking down the street. The picture was too blurry to see his face clearly and the Torchwood Three team all leaned in for a better look. The man had stopped in his tracks and the team saw the manhole cover slide aside and the Weevil pull itself to the surface. They continued to watch the scene. The man pulled off his coat and hung it on a nearby sidewalk bench. Jack whistled with a smirk.

"He's not even scared of it." Suzie observed. It's only when the fighting began did the jaws drop. They watched the fighter dance around the Weevil, the camera catching the whiteness of his teeth as he smiled. On the spin kick Owen exclaimed "No fucking WAY!" and on the final blow the Weevil slumped to the floor the team was left speechless. Jack crossed his arms and frowned in thought. The others remained silent. There was a stretching sense of worry in the air. Jack broke it.

"Right team I have a feeling we will be seeing this guy or alien again. Let's just keep our eye out for him and if you have any suspicions don't hesitate to tell me. This guy's dangerous and we need to ask him a few questions." The team nodded. "Oh and by the way Tosh, is there any way you can track him?" The women shook her head sadly.

"Sorry Jack. The qualities too bad and there aren't any cameras for another 100 metres and he didn't walk past them." Jack smiled.

"Thanks for trying Tosh. It was a shot in the dark anyway." Jack turned away from the team and allowed his true emotions show. He was worried. Jack Harkness was never usually worried, but this man gave him a sense of unease that he just couldn't place.

"Oh Jack, I sent you the CCTV footage you wanted, but I couldn't find anything on 246, it doesn't exist." Tosh added just before Jack had moved out of earshot. Jack turned and beamed at her.

"Thank you Tosh, what would we do without you?" He laughed when she blushed and waved away his comment. Jack jogged into his office and checked his emails. Sure enough, there sat the file that would answer Jacks questions.

He spent the next half an hour whizzing through the files, but nothing interesting happened. With a sigh Jack sat back in his chair and glanced at the screen as yet another body was brought into the cemetery. But then he saw it. The body that had been brought in 10 minutes ago. No it can't have. Jack rewound and rubbed his tired eyes. But then he saw it again.

Sure enough, the body bag moved. Jack watched carefully and saw the plastic kick out as somebody clawed on the inside. After a few more moments Jack watched intently as the plastic curtains were pulled aside and somebody sat up. He was definitely male, with dark hair. The American smirked as the man saluted an approaching UNIT soldier and was handed a clipboard. The image was too grainy to make out his face. Jack swore as the guy walked carefully out of the cameras sight, leaving Jack hungering for more.

So it was true. The man he had met did exist. Now all Jack had to do was find him. With a shiver of excitement Jack could only replay their brief conversation in his mind and imagine what it would be like to meet the immortal again.

-Project Jones-

* * *

><p>Ianto awoke the next day with a lazy smile on his face. The sun was spilling happily through a gap in the curtains and Ianto had never felt better. He threw the covers off and had a quick shower and threw some clothes on – being careful to chose something that covered his collar-. In the end he picked up a red hoodie and some black jeans. He left the house in search of some breakfast. Ianto leapt on his bike, pulled on his helmet and tore off down the road. After a few quick turns he arrived at a small coffee shop and parked up next to the curb. The shop had a few tables and a long wooden coffee bar with some leather topped stools. Ianto perched himself on one and pulled off his helmet. A woman appeared from behind the counter and gave him a shy smile. He returned it. She had short black hair and smooth dark skin and Ianto couldn't help but stare slightly. She was beautiful.<p>

"Hello and welcome to The Coffee Bar. I'm Lisa. Can I take your order?" She said. Ianto frowned for a second before ordering a coffee and explaining several complicated ingredients to add. Lisa bit her lip, looking worried. Ianto cocked an eyebrow and her cheeks darkened.

"Um. I'm really sorry but this is my first day here...would you like a pastry or something instead?" She explained quietly. Ianto gushed out an apology and accepted the offered pastry.

He smiled in thanks as she handed him a warm Croissant.

"I would make the coffee but you sound much more experienced than me, plus some of the ingredients you said I'm not even sure we have." She said with a laugh. Ianto shrugged.

"I'm the coffee God, or so my friends used to say." He chuckled. Lisa smiled and pointed at the complicated brass machine that was perched behind the bar.

"Prove it." She said playfully. Ianto cocked his eyebrow and sighed.

"My coffees not that good, really." He said. Lisa pouted.

"So modest! But all this talk and still no coffee." Ianto pushed himself from his stool and stepped behind the bar. Lisa watched him make quick work of the machine, turning parts and timing the water, adding half spoonfuls of things that looked identically but came from different labelled packets. She waited as the young man poured the coffee and bent down to retrieve another cup. Lisa couldn't help but admire the view.

The machine was emitting a heady aroma that made Lisa weak at the knees. Ianto handed her a cup and she took it gratefully. She took a cautious first sip as Ianto took one from his, watching her mischievously over the rim of his mug. Her senses exploded as the dark liquid touched her tongue. She found herself moaning as she took a second sip. She glanced up at Ianto and saw his mouth quirk.

"OK. So you weren't exaggerating." She exclaimed and Ianto smiled shyly. "This is the best coffee I have EVER tasted!" She buried herself in the mug once more. Once she resurfaced her eyes had lit up and she pulled him into a hug, taking Ianto by surprise.

"It's only coffee." He said weakly but Lisa shook her head.

"It's not only coffee, this is liquid sex." She said and Ianto blushed a furious shade of crimson. Lisa chuckled as the door to the Coffee Bar opened and a squat man with a bushy moustache and cheery face walked in.

"Morning Lisa!" He greeted brightly and spotted Ianto behind the counter. "Have you got customers making their own coffee?" He said with a chortle. Lisa laughed and pointed at Ianto.

"This man, Lee. He is the Coffee God. You should employ him." She said plainly and Lee grinned.

"Is that so? Well I reckon I make the best coffee in all the land." He ran a hand through his moustache. "Let me taste this apparent Gods coffee and if it is as heavenly as you describe then I will offer him a job." Ianto was startled but accepted the challenge, he needed a job anyway and what better place for him to work than at a Coffee Shop.

Ianto sized the man up and decided what sort of brew to make him. Lee was surprised when Ianto didn't ask him how he liked it but watched with interest as the nimble hands flew over the complex coffee machine. He began to smile as the water boiled and the young man mixed different beans and added bits and pieces of different ingredients. Ianto presented the owner of the coffee bar with the mug of steaming liquid. Lee took it, licking his lips in anticipation. After the first sip Lee smirked.

"Well...I think Lisa is completely right!" He exclaimed and stared deep into the cup with a satisfied smile on his face. "What beans did you use?"

"A mix of them. I'm a pretty good judge of character." Ianto answered. Lee barked out a laugh and gulped another portion of the coffee.

"Welcome to the team Lad! Wait a second..." Lee stopped and became serious for a moment. "We don't even know the coffee god's name."

"My names Ianto." Lee nodded and began to explain the payment. He would get all cash in hand, Lee didn't trust the banks. Ianto was grateful because now he didn't have to stumble through some excuse of him not knowing his bank details.

"Good to have you on board Ianto." Lisa said with a wink.

Ianto blushed again.

-Project Jones-

* * *

><p>The week whizzed by with Ianto enjoying his job more and more. He began to have regular customers that chatted to him over the counter and took their order without even having to ask. The twenty two year old never forgot a customer.<p>

Lisa was funny and friendly. She and Ianto would chat whilst serving and spent a night out drinking to get to know each other better. Ianto was settling in just fine and was covering the late shift on his own. He was leaning against the bar, cleaning the polished oak surface until it gleamed when a pretty Asian woman walked tentatively through The Coffee Bars doors. Ianto smiled warmly at her and indicated one of the bar stools. She gingerly hopped onto it and pushed a strand of her dark hair from her face.

"Hello there Miss. Welcome to The Coffee Bar. How may I be of assistance?" Ianto said politely, giving her a little bow. The woman smiled shyly and dug into her handbag producing a crumpled piece of paper with some hastily scribbled orders on it and handed it to Ianto.

"Are these all to take away?" Ianto asked as he peered over the list at her. She nodded. "Ok then, may I just ask...which ones yours?" The woman looked confused for a moment.

"The latte, why?" She replied. Ianto smiled again and pulled some Styrofoam cups from the shelf and set them out on the bar.

"I can add a little twist to it." He replied mischievously.

"No really-" Ianto raised a hand.

"I insist. It's my speciality." Tosh looked doubtful but watched him with interest as his hands flew over the brass coffee machines controls like quicksilver.

"I'm Ianto." The man said, extending a hand whilst pouring the coffee. Tosh shook it and was surprised by how firm his grip was. This slim man didn't look like he had any muscle behind him.

"I'm Toshiko, but everyone calls me Tosh." She said, watching the man pour the different types of coffee.

"Pleasure to meet you Tosh." Ianto smiled and took one of the cups and turned away from the bar. He added a spoonful of something before turning back and holding the cup out to her. Tosh took it with a word of thanks and took a sip. Ianto couldn't help but grin when her eyes widened and she took another, longer sip.

"This is amazing!" She exclaimed and glanced at Ianto who was sipping happily from his own mug which had Coffee God printed across it. Ianto blushed when she giggled at the mug and smiled sheepishly.

"Lisa bought it for me. She insisted that I always drink from it." Tosh smiled, her spirits had lifted. She was incredibly tired from all the extra paperwork that had to be transferred and ordered from Torchwood One that it had completely taken over her night and drained her. But this cheeky, smiling, polite Welshman had lifted her mood and she left with the promise of returning.

Tosh kept the promise and returned again the next day to find Ianto awaiting her. She ordered the same as last time and received coffee of an even greater standard than before. On the third time she came Ianto already had her coffee on the counter waiting for her.

"Morning Ianto, how's things?" She asked pleasantly as she perched on the barstool and pulled her laptop from its case, setting it on the polished oak bar. Ianto smiled and leaned against the bar with a tea towel slung over his shoulder. Today he was wearing a deep red shirt and black tie, plus some dark pinstriped trousers. Tosh was looking tired and Ianto sighed.

"Things are good thanks, but it looks like you stayed up pretty late last night." He said, cocking an eyebrow. "Did you party too hard Miss Sato?" Tosh laughed and shook her head as Ianto grinned at her.

"Ianto, do I look like the sort to go out drinking and dancing?" She asked, taking a sip from her coffee. Ianto shrugged and eyed her up and down.

"I reckon you could conga with the best of them. Throw down some moves on the dance floor, bit of dancing here, bit of vodka there." Ianto said dryly, his face completely serious. Tosh couldn't help but laugh.

"Just make my team more of your amazing coffee, Jones." She mock ordered. Ianto raised his hands in surrender.

"Yes Miss." He chuckled and began to make the other drinks as Tosh typed happily away on her computer. "What you working on?" Ianto asked casually as he began to mix beans.

"Secret police work." Tosh said mysteriously. Ianto smirked.

"I shall probe no further. People can keep their secrets if I can keep mine." Tosh sipped from her cup with a shy smile.

"I can't see you having any secrets Ianto." She said softly, the man in question merely shrugged and leaned in close.

"People aren't always what they seem, Tosh." He whispered secretively. Tosh frowned, not quite understanding. But Ianto had turned back to the coffee machine and was whistling to himself. There was silence for a moment and Tosh tapped on her laptop, scanning rift readings whilst sipping from her coffee. She could taste a twist of lemon today and smiled as the pleasant twang rolled smoothly around her mouth.

"So, you said your team is made up of Jack, Owen and Suzie." Ianto said suddenly, shaking Tosh from her laptop. She nodded. "What's Jack like?" Tosh frowned for a moment in thought.

"He's American –I think- and boisterous and really confident, likes to flirt with everything that moves." Tosh smiled as she remembered her Captains face light up when she showed him a small clockwork toy that had fallen through the rift a few weeks ago. Ianto smiled and nodded, adding a few pinches of something to the man's coffee.

"What about Owen?" Ianto asked. Tosh blushed and the Welshman couldn't help but grin.

"Well he's sarcastic...like you but not as dry." Ianto beamed at the remark. "He's funny and when he actually works, he works hard."

"Right. What about Suzie?" Ianto said after he had personalised Owens coffee. Tosh was stumped. She hadn't really spoken to Suzie much, even if they had worked together for a long time. They had never really...connected. Close but distant at the same time. Ianto tilted his head to the side and Tosh couldn't help but image him as a little puppy dog.

"I'm not sure. I don't really speak to her that much, but she likes sweets." Tosh said, dazed by the one small fact she knew about her friend. Ianto nodded again but this time left the cup as it was, apart from a few marshmallows he dunked into the milky brew.

"Thanks Ianto." The Welshman bowed with a small smile.

"Anything for you Tosh." He said swiftly as she handed him some money. The till gave a quick ring as he deposited the money and he gave Tosh a wave as she tottered from the Coffee shop with several Styrofoam cups in her grasp.

-Project Jones-

* * *

><p>Tosh drove to the HUB and walked inside past the rolling cog door. Owen, Suzie and Jack immediately crowded around her.<p>

"One at a time please people!" She squeaked as the cups were pulled from their holders and the owners glanced through the lid happily.

"How's the coffee god, Tosh?" Jack asked as he took a greedy gulp from his cup.

"Ianto's fine, but this time he personalised your coffees." Jack grinned as he sniffed the beverage and licked his lips. The team scattered with their coffee and Tosh sat at her desk and began to check her recent scans for blips. She tried to ignore Jack looking over her shoulder, biting his lip in a very childish manner.

"Tosh?" He whined and the woman turned around and faced the man as he scuffed his boot on the floor.

"Yes Jack?" She said patiently, knowing exactly what Jack was going to ask.

"Well, I was thinking. Next time you go to the Coffee Bar...um...could I go with you?" He managed, looking increasingly pathetic. Tosh sighed and nodded. Jack beamed and set off with a new spring in his step. Ever since Tosh had mentioned the handsome Welshman Jack had been begging to go meet him. Tosh didn't want to scare Ianto off too soon by introducing the flirting Captain who would most likely snog him the first chance he got.

Tosh couldn't help but giggle as Jack set off to his office with a little skip and a silly grin slapped on his face.

-Project Jones-


	6. Chapter 6

**Project Jones – Chapter Six**

**Disclaimer – I do not own the characters involved in this story, nor do I own Torchwood.**

**Summary – Ianto Jones worked for Torchwood One for two years. But after an accident leaves him different from the rest of humanity, he is imprisoned by his employers and two years on, it is time for him to escape. This is his story. This is the life of Ianto Jones.**

**AN: Thank you for the Holiday well wishes! It was pretty fun but scary as hell. I official want to wipe scorpians off the face of the earth. Here's your next chapter, it's a lot longer than the rest (to make up for my lazy updating arse) and I hope you all like it. From what i've gathered you've all been looking forward to this moment, so now i'm bloody frightened that it doesn't hold up to expectation! AHHH! Enjoy!**

Ianto was sitting on the edge of his bed feeling increasingly uneasy. His window was open and a cold evening breeze was blowing in and tickling the flesh of his bare chest. Today had gone fine; nothing seemed to have become of his fight with the Weevil a few nights ago. But even so, Ianto was restless. He could feel his collar itching to do...something. His instinct was to go out in the growing darkness but he didn't know why.

With a sigh the Welshman cracked his knuckles and rolled his neck to relive some tension. Ianto knew he shouldn't but he was craving to feel alive. The collar was buzzing and Ianto could feel its heat, almost burning, and needed some kind of release. With a groan the man found his feet and stumbled towards the front door. He needed the same feeling of calm that had blanketed him after the Weevil fight.

Iantos hands found the doorknob and he was trudging down the apartment block stairs in his bare feet. He stepped into the cold evening in search of a fight. With a shudder of excitement Ianto rocked his shoulders and began to run. The tarmac cut into his feet and the wind blew his hair back in a mess, but he didn't stop.

Ianto took off down a left street and then a right and found himself in a dark wood. There was an abandoned children's play park that shone eerily in the moonlight and the swings moved as though pushed by the ghosts that had once played there. Ianto stalked forwards, his feet growing wet from the blood and wet grass. To his left there was a low growl. The young man stopped with a smirk on his lips. He heard the thing thunder forwards and Ianto spun and faced his prey.

It was a Hoix. A beast of one at that. Ianto attacked first. His fists and legs kicking a punching into the angry eating machine. The Hoix was quick and caught Ianto leg mid kick, picked him up and slammed him onto his back, knocking the wind out of him. The beast was on him before Ianto had time to attack, its razor sharp teeth dug into his bare shoulder and Ianto screamed out in pain. There was a roar of an engine nearby and the thunder of tyres on mud that caught the alien's attention. With a heavy grunt Ianto pulled his knees to his chest and pushed with his feet sending the Hoix flying onto its back. Ianto was on top of it in an instant and began to repetitively punch it in the face. His knuckled were aching but his collar was throbbing around his neck and making him feel alive. Ianto screamed as the final punch slammed into the Hoixs face and knocked it unconscious. There was silence for a moment as Ianto regained his breath. His body was buzzing and the collar was sending wave after wave of adrenaline through his body.

But then a bright light shone and blinded Ianto. He raised a hand to shield himself and backed away quickly.

"Hey! You! Freeze or I'll shoot!" shouted a strong American voice. Ianto didn't listen. He turned tail and fled across the field. His shoulder was throbbing and the world tilted wildly to the side nearly sending Ianto to the floor. He pressed on and heard shouting behind him as he reached the road. There was the roar of an engine starting again as Ianto ducked into a nearby alleyway. Ianto continued to run and run through the cold night air as the first drops of the nights rain began to fall from the heavens. With a groan the young Welshman pulled himself up the apartment stairs and collapsed into his flat. The room was welcoming and Ianto felt a common gloved feeling over his shoulder as the bite marks knitted back together. Blood was dripping from his shoulder, the wound had bled a lot but it wasn't serious.

Ianto sighed as he rested his head against the wall and sunk to the floor. He rested a hand on his knee with the other leg lying lazily on the carpeted floor. His head dipped and Ianto sniffed as a drip of rain fell from his hair. It was a close call. Whoever it was that had seen him said they would shoot. That meant the police – highly unlikely – or someone else. It could be Torchwood One, or UNIT. Whoever it was...they weren't friends of his.

Ianto sat that night exactly where he was with a gun held tightly in his grip and a backpack within reach.

**-Project Jones-**

* * *

><p>Tosh was sitting in the HUB sipping some horrible Starbucks coffee and tapping quietly away on her computer. Suzie and Owen had already gone home, at the thought a twinge of jealousy ran through Tosh but she pushed it away. Her computer screen shone red as an automated alert popped up.<p>

"Jack! Something's popped through the Rift, its Weevil size." Tosh called and Jack came charging from his office with Webley and car keys in hand.

"Let's go my beautiful Toshiko!" He said, grabbing her hand and pulled her out of the HUB. There jogged to the SUV and Jack hopped into the driver's seat with Tosh taking shotgun. With a squeal of rubber and the rumble of exhaust Jack stamped on the gas and sent the SUV hurtling through the Cardiff roads. Tosh shouted out directions over the roar of the engine and they arrived in under a few minutes, but apparently they weren't the first.

Jack drove the SUV up onto the grass and drew in close. First they say the alien, a Hoix, and then a bare-chested man wearing only a pair of black jogging bottoms fighting it. Jacks eyes widened and both he and Tosh jumped from the SUV with their guns drawn. They saw the beast bite deep into the man's bare shoulder, but he retaliated and sent the alien hurtling onto its back and straddled it. Jack couldn't help but notice the well defined muscles as the man repeatedly slammed his fist into the Hoix's face, eventually knocking it out with a final rutheless blow. Jack reacted first and shouted as Tosh gasped and her gun lowered slightly.

"Hey! You! Freeze or I'll shoot!" He had expected the young man to stop but his face turned, caught in the headlights of the SUV. He had wide blue eyes and a strange black collar around his neck. His hair was messed and had bits of grass poking from it. Jack felt the need to wink at him and make a lewd comment but before he could the man darted off away from them, stumbling slightly. Jack swore and ran back to the SUV with Tosh only a few steps behind. He sped the SUV forwards but they were too late. The man had melted into the rain. Jack slammed his hand into the steering wheel and turned to Tosh.

"Can you track him on the CCTV?" he asked, but Tosh wasn't listening. She just sat there, staring ahead with her eyes wide and her hands shaking. "Tosh?" Jack asked gently and rested a hand on her shoulder shaking it softly. Tosh shook her head and turned to Jack, her face the definition of shock.

"What is it Tosh?" He asked quietly. The woman frowned and looked hard at her hands.

"It was Ianto, Jack." She whispered. Jacks stomach flipped and he leaned closer, hoping to have misheard. "Jack, it was Ianto Jones. I'm sure of it." She said, this time louder with a less shaky voice. Jack sat back in his seat and blew out a breath.

"Always the people you least expect. Least I finally got to see what he looked like." Jack said with a half-hearted laugh. "Not bad in my books, nice eyes, hell of a body-"

"He's a killer Jack!" Tosh said loudly and cut across her boss. "He was so nice to me; he even helped me on the ordering case yesterday. It was his idea to put everything like that not mine." Jack raised his brow and tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"He didn't see us though. He doesn't know you work for Torchwood. We know his name and we can go from there. Come on Tosh, let's dig up this guy's past and find out who he really is." Jack said finally. Tosh nodded and wiped her eyes with a shaking hand.

"Plus Toshiko, he hasn't killed anyone. My bet is he's the same guy that danced with the Weevil, so unless he's really unlucky to be out joggin half naked and come across a Hoix then I don't think he's a threat...yet." Jack ground his teeth on the last word and drove them swiftly back to the HUB.

The cog doors rolled aside and revealed the cavern of Torchwood Three and Toshiko and her captain walked inside. Tosh jogged to her computer and hastily began to type whilst Jack began tracking the half-naked mans track across Cardiff back to his home. With a satisfied smile Jack watched in rewind as the young man re-entered his flat. The address popped up on the corner of the screen and Jack scribbled it down on a piece of paper.

"Ok Tosh, I've got his address. Now tell me about our mysterious street fighting coffee god." Jack said. Tosh nodded and pulled up the man's profile.

"Ianto Jones worked for Torchwood London for four years, head archivist, was originally born in Newport and has a sister and a niece and nephew." Jack's stomach clenched, something was missing from this man's story. Toshiko revealed it. "But that's not all Jack. Somebody's changed the details, not to badly either. They knew what they were doing." Tosh tapped quickly into the keyboard and the details shifted back to their original state. "It originally said that Jones died two years ago in a freak Chula grenade accident. It was an instant death." Jack sighed.

"Those grenades are bad, they have tiny little spikes on 'em and pierce you then they explode. Nasty bastard things." Jack shook his head and stretched a bit. "Ok, so based on the fact that Jones is still alive why did Torchwood One fake his death?" Jack asked, but Tosh shook her head.

"I have no idea Jack, but-"Tosh paused looking confused. "Wait a second. This file is linked to another. It's got a trace signature, but it's been hastily deleted."

"Can you get it back?"

"No. It's been completely wiped. But I think I can trace the location of the person that wiped it and changed Iantos details." Jack watched as Tosh's tiny hands flew over the keyboard and began to trace the location, Tosh suddenly chuckled.

"What?" Jack asked.

"Whoever changed it is a bit of a computer whiz. They bounced the signal off the Bay water tower so your average hacker wouldn't be able to trace it." Tosh grinned and Jack barked a laugh.

"But you're not an average Hacker...you're the best hacker ever!" Tosh blushed as she done something very clever on the computer; it was such a fast trace that Jacks eyes had trouble keeping up.

"There we are." Tosh beamed and Jack held up the address Ianto had come from.

"Well, it looks like Mr Jones is trying to hide his past. Shall we pay him a visit?" Jack smirked and strolled into the medical bay, then pulled two handguns from a box and handed one to Tosh.

"I don't want to shoot him, so we can just tranq him then bring him back here." Tosh nodded and they were for the second time that night, running to the SUV.

**-Project Jones-**

* * *

><p>Ianto hadn't moved in the past hour. The gun was still held tightly in his hands and the blood had dried on his bare shoulder. Ianto was counting each minute, listening for any changes in sound. But his late run was beginning to catch up with him. His collar buzzed dangerously and kept him awake. But eventually exhaustion took over and Ianto drifted into an uneasy sleep.<p>

_Ianto was in the cold corridors of Torchwood One. He was standing in a dark pool of blood and with a cry Ianto fell to his knees. There was a loud bang at the end of the corridor but Ianto didn't move. He knelt there with tears pouring down his face, accepting his fate. The deadly hydraulic steps of the monster slammed down the corridor followed by the haunting screams of the only person that had always been there for Ianto._

_The name came to his lips like a prayer. Ianto looked up to see the limp body of Clive hanging helplessly in the freezing grasp of the monster. Clive was tossed carelessly in front of Ianto and the young Welshman could only moan pitifully. A wounded cub without its protector._

_Clive's bright eyes blinked away death and stared accusingly at him. The voice came out a broken whisper and Ianto backed away fearfully. He had witnessed this nightmare many times before._

_"It's your fault Ianto. You could have saved me." Clive spat accusingly, his broken body snaking up and crawling towards Ianto. The hole in Clive's chest was the only proof that he was dead. The cavern where his heart had been. Clive's normally warm hands gripped around Iantos throat and the Welshman struggled, whimpering and sobbing. But Clive's hand tightened whilst the other clawed at his face. Tearing away at the flesh and tears._

_"You just stood there." Clive roared. "Stood there and watched me die! You coward!" The words stung and Ianto whispered apology after apology, but Clive wouldn't listen. "You're a failure! A coward! A freak." The last word was whispered with a sneer and Ianto screamed as Clive's arms shot out through Iantos chest. The red world darkened and Ianto felt the life drain out of him to the singsong of Clive._

_"Freak, freak, freak, freak, freak." But then a voice broke through the darkness and a warm hand gripped Iantos shoulder._

"Ianto, Ianto wake up." Ianto recognised that voice, he couldn't help but stumble towards its gentle call. The Welshman awoke with a start and blinked rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light.

The first thing he saw was Toshiko Sato's beautiful face. Ianto shook his head dazedly and glanced at the second figure that loomed over him. He was tall with piercing blue eyes and well groomed brown hair. Ianto thought he looked a bit like a film star.

They were both standing, Tosh was hanging back behind the man and it was only then that Ianto noticed what they were both holding.

Guns. Guns that were aimed at him. Ianto's eyed widened and he suddenly sprung forwards, tackling the man and dragging him to the floor. Ianto's mind was a flurry of thoughts and all he was focused on was the gun he still clutched in his hand and the gun the other man was holding.

He would be damned if the Police were going to arrest him. He knew Tosh worked from them, but it was only as Ianto was grappling with the film star lookalike that he noticed one very important thing.

They weren't wearing a uniform. If there was an arrest then there would have been more people, maybe even a search warrant. But no. The man was wearing a strange world war two style coat, shirt and braces. Everything was getting increasingly more confusing.

The man shouted as Ianto's shoulders pounded into his stomach and dragged him to the floor. He was completely taken by surprise.

Ianto was on top of the man in a sprawl of limbs. There was a bang and Ianto feared that the gun had been shot but no pain was felt.

Ianto slammed the man's gun-wielding hand into the carpet and the weapon came free. The Welshman dived for it and quickly straightened up, aiming his own weapon and the police issue firearm at both Toshiko and the man clutching his stomach on the floor.

Tosh had watched the fight with shock and when Ianto aimed the gun at her she couldn't help but feel slightly pissed at how quickly Ianto had overcome Jack.

"Ok." Ianto took a deep breath, both of his hands unwavering as he kept them steady on his targets. "Tosh, drop the gun." The women tossed her gun to the side of the room near the open window. Ianto breathed a sigh of relief but he narrowed his eyes when Jack groaned and staggered to his feet, still clutching his stomach. Ianto licked his lips and said nervously:

"I...I didn't hurt you did I?" Ianto sounded as though he was silently praying that the man wasn't injured. His eyebrows shot up at the question as a trickle of blood ran down his cheek. Jack had nicked his skin on the table during the scuffle. "You...your bleeding." The Welshman said hesitantly and the worry was all too apparent in his face. The man shrugged his shoulders and waved an arm in dismissal.

"Had worse from shaving." He said with a beam. Ianto noticed he was American and he immediately placed the man's name as Jack.

"You're Jack, right?" Ianto asked tentatively as he stepped quickly though the room and momentarily took his gun off of Tosh to hook up his backpack onto his bare shoulder. The American smiled and glanced at Tosh who apologised sheepishly.

"That's me, and you're Ianto Jones." Ianto flinched as Jack offered out a hand to shake and hastily took a step back towards the open window.

"Who do you work for?" Ianto asked quickly, he was beginning to feel tired and wanted everything answered soon, knowing who was looking for him would be a big help. Jack took back his hand and crossed his arms and jutted out his chin, looking thoroughly intimidating.

"Torchwood." As soon as the words left his mouth Ianto panicked. He backed away quickly, shaking his head and stuttering.

"No, no no no!" He shouted, his arms were feeling heavy. "I won't- I won't go with you. You can't make me go back there..." Ianto trailed off as his vision blurred for a second, he felt like all the strength was draining from him. One arm dropped slightly and Jack took a step forward, Ianto stumbled backwards in return, getting closer and closer to the open window.

Jacks gun dropped from Iantos hand and hit the floor with a thud, this woke the Welshman slightly and he shook his head, words becoming slurred.

"Won't go back, caan't go back. Juus get locked up- locked up again." Ianto's now free right hand raised to his chest and closed around a small dog tag he was wearing around his neck. Jack turned to Tosh, looking confused.

"Did we have any record of Ianto being held by One?" He asked quickly, Tosh shook her head and suddenly everything began to slot together in Jacks mind. Ianto Jones wasn't just able to tackle Weevils and a Hoix from taking self defence classes.

246. Ianto was Prisoner 246. Jack's eyes widened as he realised who was standing in front of him.

The only other immortal in the world was pointing a gun and gradually edging out of a second floor flat window. Jack took a step forward quickly and Ianto managed to raise the gun again.

"Noo, don' move Jack-"

"Ianto, what's that thing around your neck?" Jack said quickly, this startled Ianto and the man paused. Distracting him would be the only way to stop him from passing out and falling out of the window.

"My- my collar." The Welshman said after a second, he glanced down and noticed something red and fluffy sticking to his skin. With sudden fascination he released the dog tag and ran a hand over it.

It was a tranquilising dart. Ianto had seen them enough in Canary Wharf to know what it was. He pulled it out and dropped it onto the floor. When Ianto looked up Jack was right in front of him.

The American quickly snatched the gun from Iantos grasp and removed the magazine. Ianto followed the movement with dazed curiosity and soon felt his knees give way. Strong arms managed to grab him just before he reached the floor and he was gently eased down. Ianto glanced upwards and saw Jack. The man smelled...familiar.

"Your aftersh-shave, it smells nice." Ianto sighed and leant back into the man's arms. His mind was screaming at him to get up and run away from the Torchwood agents but his body had already given up. Jack chuckled, sending warm vibrations through Iantos body. It felt strange. Only Clive had ever held him like this during his two years in Torchwood One, it had otherwise been a completely isolated experience. Nobody touched him or spoke to him, only Clive.

The name held so much pain that Ianto felt his throat choke and he gasped, letting the thickness fall from his throat. Jack interrupted Ianto from his thoughts.

"I never wear any." Jack explained and the Welshman took a deep breath and found that the smell made his head feel pleasantly dizzy.

"You sm-smell like that naturally?" Ianto managed to get out, he was gradually falling asleep in Jacks arms.

"51st Century pheromones. You people have no idea." Jack sighed as the man succumbed to the drug and finally fell asleep. He glanced at Tosh with a cocked eyebrow.

"Well that was eventful." He said with a grin. Tosh shook her head and crouched down next to her boss and gently slid the backpack from Iantos shoulder.

"Why didn't he just shoot us?" She asked when a laptop was pulled from the black bag. Jack shrugged.

"I don't think he wanted to hurt us. But as soon as I said Torchwood he flipped out."

"He was supposed to have died from that grenade Jack. Why would Torchwood make that up?" She asked as the laptop booted up. Jack shrugged and pointed at the laptop.

"Will you be able to find out what Ianto deleted from the 246 files?" Tosh nodded and smiled.

"His laptop will have some information somewhere of the file, everything leaves a trace. Just give me a minute."

They sat in silence as Tosh began to surf through the laptops contents whilst Jack carefully carried Ianto to the sofa and set him down, then handcuffed him just to be safe.

15 minutes passed until Tosh beamed, looking up from the laptop and ushered Jack over from picking in the fridge.

"I've found it Jack. Shall I read it out?"

"Nice and loud Tosh." Jack smiled and settled himself next to the young woman as she began to read.

_**PRISONER 246**_

_**DATE OF BIRTH**__: 19/08/83_

_**NAME:**__ IANTO JONES_

_**PREVIOUS OCCUPATION**__: TORCHWOOD LONDON - HEAD ARCHAVIST_

_Ianto Jones (246) was killed and noted as dead on the 22/12/2004. Subject healed from death and revived with no assistance._

_246 then taken down to Base Level 8 and tests were carried out. No results explained subject's immortality._

_On the 16/4/2005 Dr Ashton appointed as head of Project 246. Training began with a strict schedule._

_5.00AM: Combat Training_

_6.00AM: Combat Training_

_7.00AM: Breakfast_

_7.30AM: Personal Hygiene_

_8.00AM: Firearm Training_

_9.00AM: Firearm Training_

_10:00AM: Testing_

_1.00PM: Lunch_

_2.00PM: Extra terrestrial Tutoring_

_4.00PM: Exercise_

_6:00PM: Dinner_

_7:00PM Testing_

_9.00PM Lockdown Cell_

_Testing involved investigating the origin of Subjects immortality plus recovery times._

_Subject is unaware of immortality, only heightened healing._

_Subject is being conditioned to be used to protect the Earth and its inhabitants._

"Jack?" Tosh asked slowly, her hands were shaking on the laptop and she was glancing at the cuffed, sleeping form of Ianto Jones.

They were only on the first part of the report. The detailed scientific tests had been blanked out, leaving only Jack and Tosh's imaginations to think up the horrible things that One would have done to Ianto to find out his secret.

"Yes Tosh." Jack's voice was emotionless.

"Is this report saying that Ianto is immortal?"

"Yes Tosh."

"They tested on him?"

"Yes Tosh."

"Those sick bastards! What is wrong with them!" Tosh exploded, jumping to her feet and shouting, cursing Torchwood One. "He's a human being! What did they do? Cut him up and type up how long it took him to heal!"

"Yes Tosh."

"Look at that bit there!" She screamed and slammed her hand on the screen and rushed over to Ianto and began to stroke his hair. "No wonder he was scared of Torchwood! They cut bits of him off and timed how long it took to heal and how much pain he was in!" Tosh was verging on hysterical. She sobbed onto Iantos chest and Jack walked stiffly over, draping a comforting arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

They sat in silence with Jack holding Tosh whilst she stroked Iantos hair. Jack couldn't help but stare at the thick collar that was attached to his neck. A twinge of curiosity took him and he leaned forwards and ran a hand across the smooth leather.

"Tosh, I need you to check through the rest of that file for me. Can you do that?" Tosh let out a shaky sob and nodded, dragging the laptop towards her.

"What am I looking for?" She asked through tears. Jack sighed.

"Anything about this collar he's wearing. I'm not familiar with it. But you see this bit here?" Jack ran the pad of his thumb across the metal plating and felt it hum dangerously. "It's definitely alien." Tosh nodded and began to read, occasionally stopping to blow her nose.

"Jack, I think I've found it." She called. It had been an hour and Ianto was still sleeping, he must have been exhausted. Jack sat up from his perch on the edge of the sofa and gave the sleeping Welshman's hair one more stroke before joining Tosh on the floor.

"Any idea on what it is Tosh?" He asked quietly. Tosh sniffed and pointed at the diary entry. It was written by Dr Ashton, Iantos 'owner'.

_14th Of June, 2005._

_Ianto is still refusing to cooperate with us. I don't understand why? We can make him into so much more than he is now. His training has turned him into a fighting machine, yet he still wouldn't fight one of the Weevils we brought in especially for him. Nearly got mauled to death, but deaths nothing much for Yan' is it!_

_Anyway, some of the operatives have got their hands on this strange collar thing, found it on an orange alien that was stinking up the place. Anyway, they managed to 'persuade' the bastard to explain what it was. He said that he sold it out in the Vegas Galaxy, wherever that is! Apparently they are used on fighters and slaves, perhaps both!_

_It releases a steady flow of chemicals into the wearers blood steam, the guy gets used to them in his body. Makes you feel good, bit like heroin only it has much more of a constant hit, no crashes._

_But then when you decide to, you turn off the chemicals and program in when it can be given, be it by remote control or from something you want them to do...lets say in Iantos case: FIGHTING!_

_We gave it a go a few weeks ago and the lucky guys been walking around high as a cloud, it was only today that his body was going back to his usual unhappy self and he turned back into the old Ianto. So I shoved him into a cage with four Weevils that Clive had been looking after and BAM!_

_It was total carnage! Like some fuckin' ninja movie. I was so proud of him. Only we need to work on him killing the smug alien bastards, not just knocking them out._

_Anyway, I hear that Hartman is really happy; she's going to pump some more money into Project 246 so we can get him even more prepared and send him out as an elite agent._

_More money for me! More drugs for my boy Ianto!_

"Oh god." Tosh managed to choke out, Jack pulled her closer and they hugged for a moment. When they broke away Jack's eyes were red from the tell-tale sign of crying.

"Can we take it off Jack, please." Tosh begged, resuming the stroking of Iantos hair. Jack bent forwards to inspect it and winced as he saw the leather was fused to the skin.

"I can, but it's attached to him, burnt on. We need some painkillers for him first. I don't want him to be aware of anything when we take it off." Jack explained and Tosh nodded in agreement.

"It's the least we can do. He's been through all of this, the Battle of Canary Wharf and I think we owe it to him. Finally free him of Torchwood."

"What will we do with him afterwards? He's probably got a bit of PTSD if I guess rightly." Tosh said. Jack shrugged.

"Maybe we could offer him a job, our archives are a mess." The captain offered with a small smile.

"Perhaps, but it's up to him. He needs time to recover and maybe Torchwood Three would be good for him."

Jack and Tosh gently carried Ianto to the SUV and drove him to the HUB. They both felt an overwhelming need to protect this man and hoped that in the future Ianto Jones would truly be able to live his life.

With or without Torchwood Three, they would always be there for him.

The silence that early dawn was broken by one of the Torchwood team arriving.

"Harkness! Why the fuck is there a half-naked guy in my Med Bay!" Owen shouted as he poked the man that was currently inhabiting his autopsy space and discovered that despite appearances the man was in fact alive.

There was a pause.

"And why is Tosh using my lab coat as a dressing gown!"

-Project Jones-


	7. Chapter 7

**Project Jones – Chapter Seven**

**Disclaimer – I do not own the characters involved in this story, nor do I own Torchwood.**

**Summary – Ianto Jones worked for Torchwood One for two years. But after an accident leaves him different from the rest of humanity, he is imprisoned by his employers and two years on, it is time for him to escape. This is his story. This is how Ianto Jones joined Torchwood Three.**

Ianto awoke feeling strangely weak. His back was aching and his neck felt sore. Ianto sat up and opened his eyes, immediately regretting it.

"What the-what the hell!" Ianto shouted, his breathing quickening. Ianto found himself in a cold concrete cell. There was some dirty glass with a door to his left and the rest was dirty damp walls. Ianto was sitting on a concrete block wrapped in a blanket and thin pillow. Ianto panicked. He had fallen asleep in his flat...and then...then somebody had broken in. He remembered seeing Tosh and some other man. But then the memories became hazy and Ianto shook his head to clear it, but to no avail. Ianto steadied his breathing and tried to peer though the dirty panes of glass. There was a corridor on the outside and Ianto brought up a fist and slammed it into the glass. With a yelp Ianto felt the knuckle break and he swore loudly then kicked out with his foot. Ianto was ready to throw another punch.

"Ianto, Ianto calm down!" It was Tosh. Her face appeared on the other side of the glass and Ianto backed away looking scared. The glass door opened and she slowly walked in, holding her hands up.

"It's ok Ianto. You're safe. We won't hurt you." She said but Ianto backed away shaking his head.

"Where am I?" Ianto demanded and Tosh sighed.

"You're in Torchwood Three." Said another voice. A man had appeared behind Toshiko. He was wearing a light blue shirt and a world war two style trench coat. Ianto immediately panicked at the T word and pressed himself into the corner of the cell. "Hey it's ok, we won't hurt you." He smiled but Ianto didn't buy it.

"That's what the Mrs Hartman said. You're the same." Ianto whispered but Jack advanced on him, looking angry.

"Don't you dare put me in the same category as that bitch. I'm nothing like her." Ianto's head ducked down and Jacks face softened. "Sorry. Let me prove it to you." The young man looked up, slightly startled.

"How?" Jack beamed and pointed at Ianto's neck.

"I took that collar off you last night. You belong to yourself now." Jack said, echoing the conversation they had started in death. Ianto's hand shot to his neck and felt the bare flesh where the collar had lived for the past two years. The young man choked back a sob and a lone tear tracked down his face.

"Th- thank you." Ianto managed, falling to his knees. Jack strode forwards and rested a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"No problem. Now, I don't suppose you could make us some coffee?" Jack beamed when the Welshman raised an eyebrow. Tosh led Ianto to the machine in the main part of the HUB once he had gotten over the sheer awe that the cavern inspired in many individuals. Jack was uneasy. Ianto would begin to feel the sting of the collar soon. The mixture of drugs addicted the wearer and Ianto's extremely long exposure to it would hit him hard. The addiction was much like that of a Class A drug, but it took less time to get over thank goodness. Jack sighed wearily and walked the short flight of stairs back up the main area of the HUB. He would need to keep Ianto close for the next month to make sure the guy didn't lose his grip on the world.

"Here you go Sir." Ianto handed Jack a cup with a shy smile.

"Don't go calling me Sir Ianto, unless it's reserved for bedroom talk." Ianto blushed a furious crimson and Jack couldn't help but chuckle. "Jacks fine."

"I think that would be classed as harassment Sir." Ianto stated just as Jack brushed past him. The Captain winked with a wicked smile. _This is going to be so fun_, Jack thought.

The early morning passed with Ianto being shown the layout of the base and retelling his experience at Torchwood One and what his job was whilst being kept in the cells. Jack thought for a second and glanced at Tosh.

"So Ianto, you were Head Archivist at Canary Wharf? Even when you were held captive?" Jack asked casually, sipping from his coffee. Ianto nodded and looked slightly wary. "How would you like to work for Torchwood Three? Our archives are a total mess...not my fault by the way."

Ianto was stunned. On one hand there were the memories of Torchwood One burning a hole in his heart, but here he could be...useful. Not making coffee every day. He could make coffee here since Tosh had come to the shop twice a day, every day, in the past week.

"Really?" Ianto exclaimed, Jack nodded.

"Only if you want too. Things can get a little hairy around here, but I'm sure having you on the team would make everything a whole load easier." Jack said and he could see the glint of hope in Iantos eyes. He just hoped that Ianto would take the job, it would make his life easier if he didn't have to follow the Welshman around in fear that the sudden addiction would take hold. Jack had seen it happen to many soldiers. The lines between right and wrong became blurred and they lost control, hungering for the drugs that the collar had once provided. Ianto beamed and Jack sighed in relief.

"I'd love to." Ianto said and Jack held out a hand.

"Welcome to the team Jones, Ianto Jones." Ianto shook it and Jack paused, he needed to check if Ianto remembered their encounter in the space between life and death. "By the way, do you belong to yourself now?" He whispered, just loud enough so that only Ianto would hear. It took barely a second for Ianto's eyes to flicker in recognition and Jack could see his mind ticking over. A glimmer of complete and utter surprise passed over his face before Ianto gained control of it and his face returned to its original happy state.

But now Jack knew that behind that mask was the man he had met in the cold darkness of death.

Two immortals existed; Jack could only hope that they would become friends. The thought of living an eternity with everything crumbling to dust around him was too painful to bare, but now Jack had something to look forward too. Someone would stand with him, a constant in the storm of time.

Perhaps Jack could final live his life again with a Welshman at his side.

No longer alone.

-Project Jones-

"By the way, do you belong to yourself now?" Jack had whispered. Ianto's mind flitted back to his chance encounter of who he thought to be death. But now here was this man, asking a question he shouldn't know. Ianto couldn't hide his initial surprise and only just managed to contain the last of it. He couldn't believe it. Here Ianto was, only just getting a hold on the notion that he couldn't die, it never occurred to him that somebody else was also immortal. Ianto took a deep mental breath and smiled. Jack knew he had flicked the switch and there was a tiny glint of hope in his blue eyes.

This man was lonely. Ianto had no idea how long he had been alive but they needed to speak privately...and soon. Jack broke Ianto from his thoughts with a slap on the back.

"Let's go get your details sorted, Owen and Suzie will be in soon." Jack steered Ianto towards his office and once inside the smile on his face dropped. Jack stood there with his arms crossed and legs apart staring Ianto straight in the eye. The young Welshman returned the heat and waited.

So," Jack begun "When did you find out?" Ianto blinked.

"When I died in Canary Wharf. Yourself?"

"Satellite Five. I died and was brought back to life by a girl named Rose Tyler." Jack said and ran a hand across his tired face. "I've been alive for a very long time Ianto. It's lonely and difficult. The sooner you accept it the better." Jack brushed past Ianto again and slumped down in his chair, Ianto sat opposite.

"I haven't really thought about it." Ianto admitted. "I...I don't know what to do. How do you deal with it?" The young man asked quietly.

"Well, the longer you live you can't help but be afraid. Everything around you will eventually die except yourself."

"And you." Ianto added. Jack nodded absent-mindedly, his eyes glued to Ianto's hands.

"How do you feel?" Jack asked suddenly. Ianto frowned.

"I'm Fine. Why?" Jack had stood up and was walking towards Ianto. The Captain pointed at his hands.

"You're shaking." Ianto looked down and sure enough he was shaking like hell. It was just then that Ianto's mind blacked out for a second. Jack managed to catch him before he smacked his head on the floor. With a groan Ianto tried to sit up.

"What's happening?" Ianto slurred, finding it difficult to focus on anything. His mind was like slush, nothing was fixed and he couldn't grab on to anything to steady himself. A blur of Jacks face filled his vision.

"Your body is craving ...for the...collar gave you." Ianto blinked and tried to clear his dizziness but it only made it worse. "Just...focus on me. Can you...that Ianto?" Jack said, he sounded distant and Ianto struggled to listen, his focus was dropping away like the leaves on an autumn tree.

With a curse Jack grabbed either side of Ianto's head and held him steady.

"Ianto. Look. At. Me." He ordered. The man tried, but the world dimmed. Jack couldn't let Ianto pass out, if he did then when he woke up it wouldn't be Ianto. It would be an insane addict that would do anything to get a high. That even meant killing. Jack could remember his friend in the war. After the collar came off Jason had passed out and awoke some hours later. Jason had shot Jack just to get out of the door. Nothing more than a simple "excuse me" could of cured the problem, but the crazed man had seen everything as a threat and killed 11 people just to get back the euphoric and normal feeling of aa drug running through his veins. That was why the Ja-law collar had been banned.

"Ianto, come on. Don't pass out on me now. There's nothing worse than an insane immortal. I don't want to have to kill you." Jack regimented. Ianto's eyes dropped and the lids closed. Jack smacked the man on the cheek but received no response. With his options running low Jack needed to wake him up, and fast.

As a last resort Jack closed in on the young and pressed his lips against Ianto's. With an effort Jack managed to summon some of his energy and reach out towards the unconscious man. For a moment there was nothing but then Jack found himself being kissed back.

It worked. Jack felt Ianto respond and was surprised by the fact that he didn't pull away. The Welshman's tongue darted out seeking entrance, but as much as Jack wanted to continue, he backed off and the younger moaned at the loss of contact. Ianto was breathless and incredibly alert.

"As much as I'd love to, and I really would, you need to be thinking straight first." Jack said with a chuckle as Ianto frowned, looking slightly drunk. "That was just a kiss; imagine the buzz you get from the rest." Jack smirked as Ianto smiled lazily and tilted his head to the side. Jack had to admit not for the first time that early morning that Ianto looked adorable. Ianto darted upwards and stole another kiss from Jack. The Captain shook his head in disbelief.

"You're something else you know." Ianto grinned mischievously and yawned. "Oh no you don't! No sleeping for you. Sleep is henceforth banned." Jack sighed, the lack of drugs hadn't affected the man as he had expected. It had done the opposite. Ianto was acting like a kid. But if he slept things would definitely get interesting.

Bad interesting. Jack fished out his phone and quick-dialled Owen. Ianto had snuggled under his arm and was attempting to sleep. Jack was forced to push the man over to wake him up. Ianto didn't appreciate this.

-Project Jones-

Owen was strolling to his car with a cup of shoddy coffee in his hand and waved goodbye to the woman that had kept him company last night. Owen unlocked his car and hopped inside. His phone began to ring. Owen groaned and answered it with a grunt.

"Owen? It's Jack. Can you pick up some- Ianto put the gun down!" There was silence for a moment and Owen listened intently.

"Jack? You ok?" He asked. There was a slam on the other end of the phone and then some heavy breathing.

"Yeah I'm here." Jack gasped and then chuckled as somebody shouted something in the background. "Can you pick up a 6 pack of Red Bull and some Caffeine tablets?" He asked. Owen frowned.

"What for?" There was another shout in the background that sounded vaguely like "_You dickhead!"_ and Owen couldn't help but snort. "Who you got locked up in your office this morning Jack?"

"Sod off Owen, his names Ianto Jones. I'll explain when you get here. But as bad and dirty as this may sound I need to keep him awake for as long as possible." There was a shout of _"You bastard!"_again and Jack chuckled.

"Ok Jack, I'm on my way." Owen sighed and headed off for the nearest supermarket with a thundercloud of questions in his head. Today was definitely going to be interesting.

-Project Jones-

"So if he falls asleep he turns into an insane drug addict, yeah?" Owen sounded doubtful as he handed Jack the Tesco bag. Jack wandered over to a young man who was currently handcuffed to his desk and knelt down, opening a can of Red Bull.

"Yep. Drink up Ianto." He offered the can to the man who turned his nose up at it.

"He's a bit of a child isn't he." Owen chuckled and Jack managed to tip some of the sweet liquid down Ianto's throat.

"It's the collar he was wearing. Like I said, Torchwood One kept him prisoner using a Ja-law collar. I took it off, and if he falls asleep he'll go insane. We just have to wait for a while until his hands stop shaking and he acts normal. I hope. Simple." Jack shrugged and pointed a finger at Ianto."Drink up or you won't get another one." Ianto moaned and began to sip at the Red Bull looking incredibly grumpy.

"Get another what?" Owen asked as he peered at the man's face. He looked strangely familiar.

"Don't even ask." Jack sighed and sat on the floor next to the cuffed man. Just then it clicked.

"I thought I recognised you!" Owen exclaimed, Jack frowned. "You were at Canary Wharf and ran off when I tried to check you over." Jack barked out a laugh and Owen threw the packet of caffeine pills at his bosses head. "I thought you were on drugs even then!" Ianto glared and shook his head.

-Project Jones-

"Seriously! How childish is he normally 'cause this is just fucking ridiculous!" Owen exclaimed when for the third time in the past ten minutes Ianto projectile spat a pill out in Owens direction followed by an insult. Jack smirked.

"He's actually really nice and polite. Much better trained than you Owen." Owen flipped him off.

"I'm out of here. Even works better than babysitting him." With that Owen stalked out of the office. Ianto looked very pleased with himself.

"Well I think you should stay awake for another hour, and then you can sleep. Your hands aren't shaking as much." Jack said as he ran a hand through the dark curls of Ianto's hair and the man yawned.

"But I'm tired now." Ianto groaned and kicked out with his foot at a thankfully empty Red Bull can. Jack had managed to keep Ianto awake for the past 3 hours and the Welshman was becoming less and less childish as time went on. He was acting more like a teenager at the moment.

"I know. But just one more hour." Jack said softly and Ianto pouted then struggled for a moment with the handcuffs that were binding his hands behind his back and around the leg of Jacks desk.

"One more hour of boredom. Sod that. I'm sleeping now." Jack sighed as Ianto sat back and closed his eyes.

"Open your eyes Ianto." The man shook his head and remained still. Jack frowned and tapped the Welshman on the cheek but he didn't respond. Jack growled threateningly and still Ianto didn't open his eyes. But then Jack cottoned on.

"You want me to kiss you again don't you?" Ianto shook his head yet again, but more violently. "Did you not like me kissing you?" Jack hummed with a grin and watched as Ianto huffed and glared at him through half closed eyes. "So you did?"

The Welshman stayed silent. Jack suddenly had an idea. He snapped his fingers together and jumped up off the floor.

"Stay right there!" he shouted as the office door swung shut behind him.

"It's not like I can go anywhere..." Ianto muttered miserably and shook the cuffs to prove his point. "Stupid Americans and their stupid little accents and their nice chiselled jaws and-" Ianto paused mid rand and looked annoyed with himself. "Bloody Captain Jack tight pants-"

"You noticed then?" Jack's head had popped round the door and he was grinning wolfishly. Ianto shot the man daggers as he plopped down in front of him with a strange looking bottle in his hand. It was clear and filled with a strange glowing liquid. When Jack gave it a shake it bubbled, but instead of the tiny blue air bubbles rising they sunk to the bottom and formed a little fizzing base. Ianto looked at it with interest as Jack bit on the cork at the top and pulled it out with a loud Pop.

The Welshman couldn't help but think it looked really hot...he shook his head to clear the thought.

"This stuff's called Hypervodka, dangerous if you have too much but I think it's just what you need. Not too much though, I don't want to have you thrashing around in those cuffs - I can have you thrashing in cuffs without alcohol." Jack finished with a wink and poured out a tiny shot of the blue liquid and held it put to Ianto, who eyed it sceptically. "It tastes just like Red Bull."

Ianto rolled his eyes and swallowed the measure in one go. Jack grinned as the taste exploded in the Welshman's mouth. It was so much stronger than Red Bull. It felt like Ianto's world had been hoisted by the leg and thrown high up in the air. His senses were spinning and everything was slipping into the whirlpool. Jack's face surfaced from the mush of colours and his handsome face was split by the huge laugh that was working its way through his body.

"Ahhhuuuurrgggg." Was all Ianto managed to say. He was aiming for "Oh God" but his brain was having other ideas.

Jack could only watch with a huge grin as the young man swayed with a dizzy smile slapped on his features. One shot of Hypervodka was relative to 20 normal vodka shots. It was one hell of a drink.

It succeeded it keeping Ianto awake for another hour...and another hour and finally the young man fell asleep in Jacks arms.

Jack sighed deeply. Ianto joining Torchwood Three would be good, Jack didn't want to let the only other person who would live forever slip from his grasp. The captain could only hope that Ianto wanted to stay. He wouldn't be able to stop him from leaving.

Jack couldn't help but grin at the strangeness of the situation. There he was, thinking he was alone in the world. But here was Ianto. Sleeping soundly in his arms and gently nuzzling Jacks neck.

For once in his long eternal life, Jack felt truly at peace.

The world just got that little bit better.

**FIN**


End file.
